A citizens' group has identified the most filth-prone areas in Bangalore and is encouraging people to take charge of its revamp

'Fixing' the city's spots

A citizens' group has identified the most filth-prone areas in Bangalore and is encouraging people to take charge of its revamp

Fed up with dirt and filth around the city, a group of concerned citizens has taken it upon themselves to fix the problem, hopefully once and for all. A new city-based citizens' collective has now set up a website to hold fellow Bangaloreans accountable for the waste the city generates.

Clean-up: The group calls the exercise 'spot fixing', where it will send
its representatives to these areas and clean up the place. File pic

Called the Ugly Indian, the website deals with the attitude most Indians have towards waste and cleanlinessu00a0-- be it spitting paan on walls, dumping garbage in open space or urinating in public.

The 'fixers'
The group calls the exercise 'spot fixing', where it will send its representatives to these areas and clean up the place.u00a0 Members of the website prefer to remain anonymous, saying that they are simply representatives of the public.

Bangalore produces over 3,000 tonnes of waste daily, which roughly translates into 650 gram per household.u00a0 "This is about people coming together beyond their call of duty," a member said. "We have been successful because the partnership between the system and the public has been synergetic."

"For example, passersby have stopped and helped us when they saw us painting a wall," the member said. "It's been a busy two weeks and the response has not only been overwhelming, but also heartwarming," the member added. "When we went live, the response was so positive that we were scrambling to keep the site from crashing."

Trouble spots
We have identified some 25 spots on Brigade Road, Residency Road, Church Street, Museum Road, St Marks Road and Lavelle Road, and our aim is to fix them all."

The Ugly Indian has collaborated with other initiatives such as the Clean Bengaluru and Solid Waste Management Round Table. Together, they are encouraging citizens to adopt an active role in improving waste management. Clean Bengaluru has over 4,000 volunteers.

S Somashekhar, chief engineer (East zone), BBMP, said, "This initiative will definitely help. Every ward has its own health instructor supervisor, who has the responsibility of educating the public through advertisements as well as canvassing on waste management."

If such initiatives take wing, perhaps the Union minister for environment, Jairam Rameshm will have to take back his words. "Our cities are the dirtiest in the world. If there is a Nobel Prize for dirt and filth, India will win hands down," he had remarked. Will Bangalore prove him wrong remains to be seen.

4,000 Number of Clean Bengaluru volunteers